John Connolly, M.D.

When he first meets with a patient, he begins by listening.

"When I go into a consultation, I don't talk. I let them do all the talking," he says. "I try to get out of them exactly what they see as the problem. Once I understand the problem from their perspective, then I can offer solutions. I do lots of drawings and explain in great detail so that they know exactly what to expect and how things are going to turn out."

A Bay Area native, Dr. Connolly knew he wanted to be cosmetic surgeon since he was 5 years old and saw a plastic surgeon repair his 3-year-old brother's split lip.

To achieve his dream, he attended Bellarmine College Preparatory and Stanford University. He then obtained his medical degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and received his plastic surgery training at the University of Washington in Seattle.

After completing his residency, Dr. Connolly joined the University of Washington's faculty until coming to Camino Medical Group, which became part of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation in 2003.

What he loves about cosmetic surgery is that it is not "cookbook medicine" where each problem has only one solution. It allows him to grow and evolve as a surgeon at the same time as he improves his patients' quality of live.

"As people age and have appearance issues that bother them, it can affect their lives in so many ways and to see them come out on the other end of that and how you can totally change their life is pretty gratifying," he says.

His primary surgical interests include cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the face, breasts and body, in addition to body-contouring procedures following bariatric surgery or significant weight loss. He is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.